Had Enough
by FaithMoxley
Summary: Riley Reed is a quiet, mysterious, broken rebel. She's been dating Sami Zayn for about three years, but he's been verbally and physically abusing her for the past five months. She always used wrestling as an excuse for the marks on her body, but her best friend Seth Rollins isn't so sure that's the case. What happens when Seth realizes truth behind Riley's scars?
1. Chapter 1

Riley sat on her living room couch, watching Hostel for the billionth time that week. Riley always had a thing for horror movies, especially the really gory ones. She was home alone for the first time in days, which was a huge relief. She knew Sami would probably come home drunk, but she would have to worry about that later. She groaned when her phone began to vibrate, hating that her job demanded her so much of the time. She read the message, even though she already knew what it would say, then began to pack her things. Just as she was finishing, she felt a presence close to her. She turned around to see Sami behind her with a goofy grin on his face and blood red eyes, making it more than obvious that he had gone out and drank one too many.

"Sami, we need to leave. Vince wants us to go to Des Moines tonight, and we need to catch our flight. Please go-" Riley was cut off by a hard smack to the face. "D-don't tell me what to do, biiiitch." Sami slurred while chuckling. Riley held the side of her face carefully, already feeling the full effect of the hit. She sighed, mentally lecturing herself for not having her guard up. Sami had been hitting her for months now, so what would have made today so different? She looked at her phone again, a sour look on her face at the new words. "Never mind, Sami. Vince says that NXT isn't doing anything this week, so you get to stay home and just relax."

Before Sami got the chance to respond to what he had just been told, Riley swiftly made her way out of the room and locked it from the outside. She knew that Sami would be able to open it once he was sober, but she didn't want any part of him while she was still there. She left a note on the table, reminding him where she was and why he didn't go with her, then grabbed her things and walked out of the apartment building.

* * *

At the arena in Iowa, Riley sat in her corner of the women's locker room. She was still slightly new to the roster, so she had yet to earn her spot. She began changing into her ring gear, until she felt a strong arm around her waist; lifting her up and spinning her around. She knew exactly who it was, which made her giggle uncontrollably. Even though his arm was pressing into the swollen flesh on her stomach, having Seth Rollins around always put Riley in a better mood. When he finally put her down, she immediately turned around and captured his body in a bone-crushing hug, making all the other Divas stare at them.

Riley and Seth were forced to separate when Seth's name was called over the loud speaker, making a fake pout form on Riley's lips. "No pouting, I'll be back in a few. Make sure you watch me!" Seth exclaimed before running out. Riley giggled a little more, then went back to changing. Once she was finished, she tucked her things away then joined a few other women who were watching the Shield members go at it. It only took a few minutes for the Shield to deliver their Triple Power Bomb, giving them yet another victory. Riley smiled, but quickly ran back into the locker room to make Seth think she didn't watch the match at all. He was practically her brother, messing around with him was always fun.

Before Seth had the chance to talk to Riley, everyone heard her name being called. She sighed and then took off her sweatshirt, throwing it with her other things. She jogged to the ramp, waiting for her entrance music to begin playing. When the first few beats hit, she took a deep breath and then made her way down to the ring where Paige was already waiting for her. The ref checked both girls for any hidden weapons, then had the time keeper ring the bell. With Paige getting a concussion from a backstage attack from AJ Lee, this was a match that was long overdue.

Seth always loved Divas matches, especially when Riley was one of them. He watched the way Paige and Riley moved around together, noticing that the two had major in-ring chemistry. "She's kind of tense, don't you think?" Dean Ambrose's voice asked beside him. Seth tilted his head to the side slightly, watching Riley more carefully. He noticed that she was moving slightly like a robot, and he also noticed the way her entire body cringed when Paige hit one of the swollen red marks on her stomach. "Yeah, she is. I wonder where those marks came from." Seth commented, even though Ambrose was long gone at that point. As Riley covered Paige and picked up the victory, Seth couldn't help but wonder what had Riley in so much pain.

* * *

Riley was arguing with Stephanie McMahon when the Shield finally arrived at the hotel. Ever since finding out that she would have to share a room with Summer Rae, Riley was the most unhappy person on the face of the universe. Seth overheard the conversation, so he turned to his two teammates and began to talk to them about it. After talking them into agreeing, Seth walked over to Stephanie and Riley. "She's welcome to stay with us if she wants to, Roman prefers to stay with Summer anyway." Seth commented, immediately shutting both girls up. Riley smiled widely, loving that Seth had her back throughout any situation.

After giving it much thought, Stephanie finally agreed to let Riley stay with Seth and Dean while Roman roomed with his girlfriend. She ran over to Roman and Dean, hugging them tightly and thanking them more times than anyone could count. They all made their way upstairs, then brought their things inside to their bedrooms. Once Riley was settled, she walked out into the main room where Seth and Dean were already watching TV. Seth smiled at her then motioned for her to come over, moving to his left so that there was room for her in-between both of them.

"I have a question, Riley." Dean stated. "Then ask." She replied, figuring that this was just another pointless mind game he wanted to play with her. "You were pretty tense in the ring tonight. Why?" He asked, getting straight to the point. Riley froze and blinked a few times, not prepared for that question at all. She thought she had been doing a good job in the ring, and she could've sworn that she had been moving just like any other Diva on the roster. She turned to Seth, who was simply staring at her, letting her know that he too was interested in this answer. "Oh, I don't know. I didn't stretch before the match, and I am pretty sore from working with the girls at NXT. I guess my muscles are just a little tight." She lied, not at all ready to let on that Sami was the reason behind her pain.

Seth knew that Riley was lying, but he couldn't figure out why. As much as he wanted to ask her for the truth, he knew that Riley hated being accused of lying and he didn't want to start a fight. Dean nodded, completely buying her excuse. Seth was reluctant, but he too nodded and turned his attention back to the television. Riley felt the tension in the room, so she knew that Seth had figured out she was lying. She pulled her phone out of her jacket pocket, checking the time. She faked a yawn, doing what she could to get away from Seth before he asked her for the truth. "It's late, I think I'm gonna head to bed. Night guys." Riley stated while hugging both Dean and Seth. As she walked toward her room, Seth couldn't help but notice the way Riley was limping the entire way.

_I will find out the truth._


	2. Chapter 2

The entire hotel room was woken by a loud banging on the door. Dean and Seth lazily forced themselves out of bed, peering around the corner to see that Riley had already answered it. "Sami? What are you doing here?" She asked tiredly, rubbing her eyes to try and focus them. "I came to see my favorite girl." He replied, embracing her in a tight hug. She hugged him back loosely, still trying to wake herself up. Sami pulled away sharply, making Riley lose her balance and fall to the floor. All Seth wanted to do was rush to her side and help her up, but Dean was holding his arm tightly; forcing him to stay back.

"Why do you smell like cologne?" Sami asked suspiciously. "Huh? Oh, I hugged Seth and Dean last night. It must have gotten on me." She explained, slowly brining herself back to her feet. Sami immediately slapped her across the face, sending her stumbling backwards. He stalked her the entire way, until he finally had her with her back against the wall. He wrapped his hand around her throat while the other one pinned her wrists above her head. He was in her face, screaming at her; not at all aware that Seth and Dean were only around the corner. He kept hitting her, making Seth struggle to get out of Dean's grip. Now he knew why Riley was so tense and had so many scars.

Sami finally stormed out of the room, leaving Riley with a bloody lip and black eye. Dean dragged Seth into his room, while Riley went into the bathroom to clean herself up. "What are you doing? Let me go after him!" Seth exclaimed, practically sprinting to the door. Dean stood in his way, using his few extra inches in height to his advantage. "No, Seth, Riley doesn't want that. She doesn't know that we just saw that, which means she's not ready for us to know. Wait until she comes to you, then you can put him in a grave." Dean reasoned, making Seth relax slightly. "Fine, but I'm blaming you for all the other marks he puts on her."

* * *

Riley walked back to the locker room, holding an ice pack over her eye. She had used a ton of foundation to hide it before, but AJ had clearly punched her right on the spot, so she no longer had to hide the dark flesh. She began to change out of her ring gear, despite her muscles screaming at her to just relax for a minute. She knew that she had to see Sami soon, so there wasn't a chance in hell that she was going to let her guard down. As if on cue, Sami stormed into the Divas locker room without even knocking. Many women started yelling at him to get out, but all he did was push his way past them. He walked over to Riley, immediately turning her around and pinning her up against the lockers.

Sami brought his hand up to slap her, obviously mad with the fact she had lost her match. Before he had time to realize what happened, he was on the floor with a hot burning sensation on his cheek. He looked up at his girlfriend, stunned that she had the nerve to hit him. Not even caring that a crowd had formed around them, Sami stood up and immediately started going at it with Riley. They were rolling around on the floor, trying to pin the other down, when Triple H came around and finally separated them. Even with various referees and security guards holding them back, they were still trying to get at each other's throats.

"That's enough! I don't know what's going on with you two, but this type of behavior will not be tolerated! Sami, you're not even supposed to be here; pack your things and go home. As for you, Ms. Reed, I suggest you make wiser decisions in the future; to make sure that happens, I'm putting you in the Shield's locker room. Seth is a good influence on you. Now go." He demanded, talking sense into both of them. Sami walked out with his head down, while Riley angrily shoved her things into her bag and stomped her way down to the Shield's locker room. She finally had the guts to get Sami back, and she got in trouble for it. _Way to go, Riley. Now all your co-workers know your boyfriend hits you, and you're stuck in a room with three hormonal men._

* * *

Back at the hotel, Seth was watching an action movie all by himself; Riley was in the shower, and Dean had gone out to the bar with Roman. Riley had been in the bathroom for a good hour, and Seth was beginning to worry. He knew that he could walk in on Riley with no clothing on, but the feeling he had in his gut was telling him to just go for it. He tried to open the door, but it was locked. He knocked, calling Riley's name, but there was no answer. Becoming even more worried about her, he broke the door down and barged in. He found Riley on the floor with a bottle of pills in her hand, struggling to get the cap off.

"Riley!" Seth exclaimed, rushing to her side. He tried to grab the pills from her, but she wouldn't let them go. "I can't get the cap off!" She screamed in frustration, pulling the bottle back. Seth and Riley fought for the small bottle, until the cap finally popped off and the pills went everywhere; Seth and Riley falling backwards. "Look what you did!" Riley exclaimed, trying to pick up the tiny pills from the floor. Seth was immediately on her, grabbing her shoulders and shoving her against the wall. "Riley stop! I don't care what happened, this is not the answer!" Seth shouted, trying to talk some sense into her. Riley sat still, shaking uncontrollably and staring up at one of her roommates.

Seth's brown eyes found Riley's hazel ones, obvious fear and pain showing. Seth knew that Sami was the reason for all of this, but he remembered that Dean said it was best to wait until she came to him with the situation. As much as Seth wanted to beat the living daylights out of Sami, he knew that he had to sit back and be patient; that he had to wait until Riley was completely comfortable with talking about it. He finally backed off of her, realizing that his face had gotten unimaginably close to hers, and began to discard of the pills that scattered everywhere.

Riley pulled her knees up to her chest, feeling exposed and vulnerable. She wanted to tell Seth everything, but she knew that Sami would hospitalize her if she told anyone. She was scared to even leave the hotel because of the fight she had with him in front of some of the Superstars and Divas. Her mind shifted back to only a few moments previous, when she was about to down the bottle of pills. A part of her resented Seth for stopping her, but another part of her could not have been more relieved. Seth was always her voice of reason; she should've known that he was going to stop her. Her mind finally settled on the moment when Seth's face was only a few centimeters away from hers; his beard slightly scratching her chin while she felt his hot breath on her lips. Her face turned a bright shade of red when she realized she actually _wanted_ Seth to lean in closer.

_Enough, Riley. You haven't broken up with Sami, and Seth is too much like family. Pull yourself together and knock these thoughts off._


	3. Chapter 3

Riley lifelessly walked back to the hotel room from the arena that was only a few blocks away. She lost her match, everyone was asking her about Sami, and she couldn't get her mind off of Seth. Riley slid her key into the slot, expecting to see Dean and Seth on the couch watching television. Instead, she was greeted by Roman and Dean in a heated debate about whether Summer Rae or AJ Lee was more attractive. She giggled to herself lightly, completely astonished that women seemed to be the only problem men these days had. She made her way past them into her room, setting her things down and laying on the bed that she hadn't been able to feel in days. As she was unlacing her Converse, there was a light knock on the door. She recognized that tap anywhere, and even though she wasn't in the mood to talk to him, she knew that she simply couldn't push him away.

When the door opened, Riley stepped to the side and allowed Seth to come in. She closed the door behind him, locking it to make sure Roman and Dean didn't interrupt with their silly little argument. Seth took a seat on her bed, folding his hands in his lap and tapping his foot nervously on the floor. "Seth, not to sound rude, but why did you come here?" She asked. Seth turned his attention to her, uncertainty reflecting in his brown eyes. "Riley, you know you can tell me anything, right? You're like my little sister, and I would _never_ judge you or do anything to intentionally hurt you. I'm always here to listen." He began shyly. Riley nodded slowly, realizing that Seth had come in to try and get her to open up about Sami. Even though the secret was pretty much out at that point, Riley just wasn't ready to talk about it. "I appreciate it Seth, and the same goes for you. I just want you to understand that there are some things happening in my life that I'm not ready to accept, okay? If I talk about them, then they're real. And if they're real, it means my life isn't as good as I'm playing it up to be. I'm just trying to live a happy life, Seth."

Seth knew that he couldn't win in this situation; being upfront about it would only anger the girl in front of him, but he knew that he just _couldn't_ let Sami keep hurting her and making her life miserable. He understood that Riley wasn't ready to accept the fact she was in an abusive relationship with a man she had come to love over the past three years, but he hated the fact that his best friend was bottling everything up and beginning to shut him out. He knew something had to be done, and that it couldn't wait until Riley was comfortable with opening up. Seth knew in his heart that he had to teach Sami a lesson, and he also knew that he _had_ to protect Riley from ever getting hurt again. Before Riley got annoyed with the fact he was still in her room, he stood up and gave her a gentle hug. He said goodnight to her and then headed back to his own room.

* * *

Driving back from the gym, Riley decided to call Sami and see if he wanted to go somewhere with her. Turning the radio down and pulling over into a mall parking lot, she pulled out her phone and dialed his number. Expecting to hear Sami's voice, she was surprised when she heard an obnoxiously high-pitched voice on the other end. Riley had met every person in Sami's family, but this voice didn't match any of theirs. Before the woman even had the chance to ask questions, Riley hung up the phone and drove back to the hotel that the rest of the roster was staying at.

While Riley was in the middle of packing her bags, Seth passed by her door and stopped with curiosity. "What are you doing?" He asked, beginning to get slightly worried. "I have to go to Florida. I think Sami's cheating on me, and I need to know the truth." She replied absentmindedly. Seth walked further inside the room, taking out pieces of her belongings as she kept putting more and more in. He didn't want her to leave, especially if he wasn't at her side to protect her. He considered trying to persuade her by saying that Vince would be mad, but he brushed that to the wind when he realized she hadn't used a single one of her sick days. Seth rubbed his forehead, knowing there was absolutely nothing he could do to stop her.

"I'm coming with you then." He stated finally. Riley stopped packing, not quite having a response to what Seth had just claimed. She shook her head and zipped up the suitcase, trying to find an excuse to make him stay. "You can't; you're a member of The Shield, they need you. Dean and Roman don't work well together." She argued, making Seth slump his shoulders. "I don't care, they'll be fine. I'm coming with you, Riley, and there's nothing you can do to stop me." Seth's voice had grown more aggressive, making Riley take a few steps back. She felt defeated, so she grabbed her bags and brought them down with Seth right by her side. Seth sent Dean and Roman a text message, asking them to cover for him and Riley. Knowing she wasn't in the right mindset to even consider driving, Seth hopped in the driver's side and began down the road to the local airport.

* * *

When the two finally landed in Florida, they grabbed a rental car and began driving to the hotel where the NXT roster always stayed. Pulling up in the parking lot, Seth shut the car off and waited for Riley to get out. Much to his surprise, she just sat there; not moving a single inch. "What if he's cheating on me, Seth?" Riley asked quietly, her voice starting to crack. Seth felt completely crushed; knowing his best friend was in more pain than he could even imagine, but at the same time knowing he would kick Sami's teeth in if he was cheating on her. Riley took in a deep breath, then slowly got out of the car and began walking inside the large hotel.

After getting Sami's room number and a spare key, Riley stepped inside the elevator and brought herself to the top floor. She slipped the key into the tiny slot when she reached his door, shaking uncontrollably from the anxiety of what she might find inside. She opened the door slowly, trapping her breath in her lungs to keep from screaming at the top of her lungs. "Sami!" She exclaimed when she found Charlotte straddling him and sucking on his neck. "Riley… what are you-" Sami began, but he didn't even get to finish the sentence before Riley slammed the door and sprinted back downstairs. She ran until she bumped into Seth, who had been waiting for her outside, and collapsed into his arms.

"Hey hey hey, calm down please. You're shaking and you're pale, I don't want you to pass out. Please Riley, calm down for me." Seth whispered lightly into her ear. Riley pulled away, grabbing her hair in her hands and beginning to pull on it; trying to mask the heartbreak with some type of physical pain. "He cheated on me, Seth! I walked in and Charlotte was on top-" Riley was cut off by Seth placing a gentle kiss on her lips. It wasn't anything romantic or passionate, just one of those pecks on the lips that friends would give each other. Realizing he had let the kiss last _way _longer than intended, Seth forced himself off of Riley and walked back to the car; the entire drive back in awkward silence.

Both Seth and Riley knew that their friendship would never be the same.


	4. Chapter 4

Riley was woken up by the loud ringing of her phone, making her groan and roll over; hoping she could just ignore it and go back to sleep. That idea was thrown to the wind when the music seemed to get louder and louder. She reached up lazily and grabbed her phone off the nightstand, squinting at the bright screen to see an unfamiliar number. "Hello?" She answered tiredly. There was a man on the other line, his voice deep and calm. He explained why he was calling, and Riley was having some trouble processing the information. "Yeah, okay, I'll be right there." She claimed before hanging the phone up and dragging herself out of bed. She pulled a pair of sweatpants on, threw a hoodie over her shoulder, slipped on her sneakers, then grabbed her car keys and made her way out the door.

Arriving at the local police station, Riley walked inside and talked to the man behind the window. "Thank you for coming Miss Reed, he'll be with you momentarily." Riley took a seat on a nearby chair, rubbing her eyes and attempting to wake herself up a little more. It was three in the morning, and she was at the police station for reasons she didn't even know. One thing was for sure: Seth would have a lot of explaining to do. He was escorted to the room by an officer that was much smaller than him, yet Seth still walked with his head low. The officer passed him off to Riley, and she thanked him then left with Seth.

When they were both settled in the car, Riley yawned and rubbed her eyes hard. "Do you wanna tell me why the hell I had to come pick you up at three in the morning?" She asked harshly, too tired to care about being nice. Seth mumbled something that was impossible for Riley to understand, only frustrating her further. When silence fell among them, Seth realized that he had to face his fear and be much louder. "I beat up Sami." He confessed, startling Riley and making her search her brain for the correct response. A part of her loved Seth for sticking up for her, but a part of her hated him for being so stupid. She rubbed her forehead, putting the key in the ignition and starting the car. "Alright Seth, we'll talk more about this at a reasonable hour. Let's just focus on getting back to the hotel and going to sleep."

* * *

It was nearing ten in the morning, and Riley was in the kitchen making herself a bowl of cereal. Seth sleepily walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his head on her shoulder. "No, come on Seth, no hugs until we talk about what happened last night."She stated, prying his arms off of her. She brought her breakfast to the table with her, Seth following and taking the seat across from her. They sat there awkwardly for a few moments; Riley had nothing to say, and Seth didn't want to talk about the reason she had to come get him only hours previous. Seth thought he had been doing good, but the more he thought about it, he realized that Riley may not agree. _If I tell her now, it could ruin everything. Just listen to Dean; wait until she comes to you with it, then you can explain._

The silence was broken by both of their phones vibrating at the same time. They checked their screens, seeing they had a new text message from Stephanie McMahon. Riley rubbed her forehead, while Seth just sighed. Riley brought her bowl to the sink and washed it out, then went into her room and started packing her things. As much as she wanted to sit with Seth until he told her the truth, she had a flight to make. She brought her bag into the main room and waited for Seth and Dean, thinking about what it was that Seth could have done. _Please don't let it be anything too bad... He said he beat Sami up, but please don't let it be anything serious. The last thing I need right now is even more drama involving him. _Seth and Dean finally walked out of their rooms; none of them saying a single word as they made their way into the parking lot.

* * *

Just as they had gotten settled in their locker room, there was a loud knock on the door. Roman answered it, and there was an unmistakable voice on the other side. Roman turned around with a nervous look on his face, staring at both Seth and Riley. "Vince wants to see you guys." Seth and Riley looked at each other blankly; neither one of them knowing what they had done to make the owner of the company want to talk with them. Riley was the first one to walk toward the door, wanting nothing more than to just get this over with, and Seth followed closely behind her.

"Let's get straight to the point, shall we?" Vince questioned the moment they walked into his office. Riley and Seth sat down in the chairs across from his desk, while he took a seat on the other side. "Riley, while you may not be champion, I see you as one of the best competitors on the roster. You've never gotten injured, you never complained about a storyline, you never asked for more than what you were given, and you do exactly what you need to in the ring." He began, making direct eye contact with the young girl in front of him. "Seth, there's no doubt that everyone sees you as the most underrated Superstar in the Shield. Disregard, you're a very talented young man who is going to make it very far in this company." He turned to Seth and gave him a warm smile.

"That being said, I think it would be… "best for business," so to speak, if you two were put into a storyline together." He finished, keeping that warm smile on his face. Seth and Riley's eyes widened, neither one of them believing what they just heard; everyone knew that if you were put into a storyline, it was to give you a push in the company. As much as they thought they didn't deserve it, they weren't about to argue. They agreed to it without hesitation, and then thanked him for the opportunity. Once they were dismissed, they walked out of his office with huge grins on their faces.

* * *

In the middle of her match with Summer Rae, they both heard the unmistakable sound of the Shield's music blaring throughout the entire arena. Sticking to the script, they forgot about the match and turned back-to-back; acting as if they had each other's backs if the Shield decided to attack them. With a dark look in their eyes, they all stood up on the ring apron and gave a devious grin to Summer. Seth nodded his head at Riley, and she took that as her opportunity to wrap her arm around Summer's neck and pull the both of them down into a sitting position. The Shield hopped down off the apron, all three of them watching closely as Summer Rae tapped out; the entire arena going absolutely wild. When Riley's hand was raised in the air, Seth was the first one to knock the referee out of the way. He pulled Riley into a hug and then kissed her deeply; getting the point across to the rest of the fans.

Once he pulled away, Riley felt a little uneasy. Her face was hot, her breathing was ragged, and she could literally feel her heart beating faster than it should have been. She figured it was because of the match she had just competed in, but it was hard to declare that because the feeling hadn't come until after Seth had kissed her. Seth helped her over the barricade and intertwined their fingers as they walked back to the locker room; Riley keeping her head down, so no one could see the effect that Seth had on her. She let go of his hand as soon as possible, and ran back to the locker room as fast as she could. _No, Riley, you do __**not**__ have feelings for him. You're mad at him because you had to pick him up from the police station at three in the morning, and he still hasn't told you why. You haven't talked to Sami yet, maybe there's a good excuse about why Charlotte was on top of him; __don't forget about him. You love Sami, not Seth._ Riley thought as she changed out of her gear as quickly as possible.

_If that's true, then why does Seth make me feel things that Sami never did?_


	5. Chapter 5

"Riley," Seth whispered while shaking his partner lightly. "Riley, wake up." He repeated, shaking her a little more aggressively. Riley groaned and rolled over, but she still didn't wake up. "Fine, have it your way." Seth said to no one as he walked into the bathroom. As Seth was filling up a huge bucket with water, Riley forced herself to sit up. When her eyes adjusted, she noticed her bedroom door was open and she heard the faint sound of running water coming from the bathroom. A smirk came to her face when she thought out her next move. Just as the water shut off, Riley got out of bed and hid against the wall behind the door.

Seth came in, holding the bucket of water, and started looking around for Riley. He walked further into the room, but soon realized that was a horrible mistake. Riley closed the door suddenly, jumped out in front of him, and tilted the bucket back toward Seth. Soon enough, the bucket was empty and Seth was standing there soaking wet and shocked. Riley was laughing uncontrollably, meanwhile Seth was wiping his eyes off and trying to comprehend what happened. "Oh you little bitch!" He exclaimed while moving forward and wrapping his arms around her. She screamed loudly, but Seth only dragged her out into the main room. Riley struggled against him, but he brought both of them to the floor until Riley was on her back and he was pinning her down.

Riley was giggling like a child as Seth's hair dripped down onto her, making her slightly wet. "Guys, it's six in the morning! What the fuck are you doing?" Dean asked tiredly. He adjusted his eyes to the sight before him, and soon became red in the face. Seth had come to him a long time ago and told him that he had deep feelings for Riley, but Dean thought Seth would at least have the decency to make a move in an enclosed area. Seeing Seth on top of Riley, pinning her down, made Dean feel as if he had been intruding. "Oh crap, um, sorry guys. I'll just… go and pretend this never happened. Um, continue." He rambled. "No, Dean, wait! Save me!" Riley exclaimed while laughing even harder. Dean finally realized that Seth was drenching wet, and put the pieces of the puzzle together. He grinned as he walked over and pulled Seth off of Riley. "Alright, that's enough. Dry off and go get ready for our flight to Jersey."

* * *

On the plane ride, the Shield sat together while Riley sat a few seats back with Sami. Of course NXT didn't move outside of Florida, but they weren't doing anything that week so Riley decided to invite Sami to New Jersey for Extreme Rules. It had only been a few weeks since Riley had walked in on Charlotte on top of Sami, but his explanation was that he dropped his room key, and Charlotte came onto him when she returned it. Being too blinded by the love she felt for him, Riley believed the lie and made up with her boyfriend. The thing that still bothered her, though, was the fact that neither Seth nor Sami brought up their little "run in" with each other that resulted in Riley having to pick up Seth at the police station.

Meanwhile, Seth stared blankly out of the window with his headphones blasting in his ears. _This soul was born for battle; my heart was built for war. These eyes see through the lies, filled with disgust. Strip back the utopian rhetoric, and you'll find a sickness at the core. A septic carcass rotting out, filled with disgust. We are the dead. Empty lives, empty heads. Guilty is as guilty fucking does, filled with disgust. _All Seth could do was think about the truth behind Sami and Riley's relationship; Sami was abusing her, he cheated on her, and he lied straight to her face just so she wouldn't break up with him. Seth was completely disgusted with the fact that Riley forgave him, but what could he do? After all, he was only the single best friend who couldn't offer any real advice about love and relationships.

As the plane landed, Seth turned the volume on his phone down and started grabbing his things. He rocked his head back and forth to the beat as he stepped off the plane, looking around at the place they would be staying in for the next week. "No Sami, leave me alone!" Seth turned his head in the direction of the familiar female voice, seeing Riley pushing against Sami while he tried to hold her against him. There was an obvious look of disgust written on Riley's face, but there was a look of what could only be described as lust behind Sami's eyes. Seth immediately let go out of his bag, rushing over to the two. "Hey, she said leave her alone!" Seth exclaimed while roughly shoving Sami to the ground. He placed his arm around Riley's shoulders, and passed a death glare to Sami. "If I _ever_ see you anywhere near her again, I will put you in a fucking grave."

* * *

Being a Jersey Girl herself, Riley led the three Shield members to her house that hadn't been occupied in months. Despite the few cobwebs on the ceiling, all three men were thankful for an actual house to stay in instead of a crappy hotel that didn't have nearly enough space. They all made themselves comfortable in separate rooms, then walked back into the main room. Seth heard the sound of a door being slammed and the click of a lock, and it wasn't hard for him to figure out that Riley was trying to isolate herself from them. Normally he would've left her alone until she was calm, but considering she attempted suicide the last time he left behind a locked door, Seth couldn't leave her alone this time.

He walked down the dark hallway until he reached the last door on the right, balling up his hand into a tight fist and banging against the wood. "Riley, don't make me break this door down too." He stated loudly. There was a long silence, but eventually he heard some shuffling on the other side. Another click was heard, but the door never opened. Seth reached down and turned the knob himself, walking inside the small room swiftly and shutting the door behind him. Seeing Riley on the floor curled up into a ball, Seth also locked the door so Dean and Roman wouldn't intrude. He took a deep breath and slowly approached her, not wanting to push too far. Once he was seated on the floor next to her, he gently placed his arm around her shoulder and began to pull her close.

Rather than waiting for Seth to finish, Riley grabbed onto Seth's shirt and pulled him close; wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face into his neck. If there was one thing Riley absolutely _hated_, it was letting people see her cry. Seth rested his head on her shoulder as he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, wanting Riley to know that she was safe with him. They embraced for what felt like an eternity, until Riley's breathing slowed down and the sobbing got softer and softer. She finally pulled off of him, wiping off her face, and then staring at the ground until she found the right words to say. "He told me that he was going to tie me up and take my v-card." She mumbled while sniffling. "He said that if I didn't pretend to like it, he was going to – if not kill me – put me in the hospital." Her voice cracked as she finished explaining.

Seth had a feeling that what Sami was doing had to do with sex, but he didn't expect it to go that far. "Listen, Riley, if he was willing to push _that_ far, he wasn't the right one. I know you spent over three years of your life with him, but I think it's time to accept the truth; he abused you and only wanted you for one thing." Seth offered calmly. As much as he wanted to comfort his best friend, he knew that honesty was the best thing at this particular moment. A pout formed on Riley's lips as she sniffled and wiped her eyes more, but she stayed completely silent. "That's why I beat him up, kid; I knew his game all along, and it was killing me to see you get hurt." He pressed on, trying to get her to see things from his perspective. Riley looked up at her best friend with blood red eyes, realizing that all he wanted was to protect her. She sighed heavily while wrapping her arms around him again, pulling him in for another tight embrace.

"Don't worry, Riley, you're never going to get hurt again. Trust me, if it's the last thing I do, I'll die trying."


	6. Chapter 6

Riley sat on the couch with a bowl of popcorn in her lap, curled up underneath a blanket and watching Scary Movie. Dean was down at the hotel bar, Roman had gone out to a movie with Summer, and Seth hadn't been around in days. Riley wondered if Seth had become distant because of her, but she couldn't figure out what she had done wrong. She pouted at she heard a knock on the door, reluctantly pausing her movie and setting the popcorn down on the table. When she opened the door, she didn't even have time to think before she was embraced in a tight hug. She recognized the scent of Old Spice cologne immediately, and as much as she wanted to melt in his arms, she struggled to get out of his grip. Seth finally backed off of her, tilting his head slightly and giving her a confused look.

"Do you want to tell me where the hell you've been?" She questioned harshly, folding her arms and giving him an unimpressed look. Seth's jaw locked up, and his face became painfully tense. He shut his eyes and took a few deep breaths, trying to come up with a lie that Riley would actually believe. Unfortunately, Seth knew all too well that he was a terrible liar and that she could see right through him. "Alright, Ry, let's go in my room. I guess it's time we have this conversation." He stated finally, keeping his head down and starting his way to his room. Riley watched him walk off, and she rolled her eyes before following him.

Riley sat down on the bed while Seth took off his skinny jeans and t-shirt, exchanging them for a simple pair of light grey basketball shorts. Riley bit her lip and looked everywhere except Seth; she knew that if she saw his body for even a second, she would lose focus. Seth finally took a seat next to her, both of them sitting there in an awkward silence for a long time. "So you and I have been friends for a while now… and I think we both knew this was going to happen eventually. Maybe it was all the kissing we do for the cameras, or maybe it was beating the shit out of Sami for hurting you, but somewhere along the way I developed some pretty strong feelings for you. If you're looking to know where I've been, the answer to that is simple: I was out trying to forget about you. We have a good thing going, and I'm not going to be the one to fuck it up." He explained, putting everything out in the open.

Riley sat there silently for a few moments, obviously taking in every single word that had come out of Seth's mouth. _Okay, so he has feelings for me. Well that's no problem, because I have feelings for him too. But then there's the fact he was "out." And you just got out of a relationship. _"What you were doing out is none of my business, so I'm not even going to ask about it. Seth, you are an amazing person. You're everything I look for in a guy: Nice face, awesome hair, perfect music taste, tattoos, and a great personality. I love you so much Seth, but I'm not ready to jump into another relationship yet. I know you would never turn out like Sami, but that was three years of my life that I wasted. I need time to get over it and move on, and I wouldn't want that to affect us. There's a possibility, yes… but just not now." With that, Riley kissed Seth on the cheek and walked back to her movie.

* * *

"Paige thinks that just because she dyes her hair black, dresses in dark clothing, and is as white as a ghost that she's something great. I got news for you sweetheart: You can pretend to be whoever you want, but that doesn't change the fact that you didn't do a _thing_ to deserve that Divas title. I think it's time I bring a little… justice to the Divas division." With a smirk on her face, Riley dropped the microphone and put her fist in the middle with her three other teammates. As they were all stepping over the barricade, Paige's music hit and she quickly rushed down to the ring. "You're right Riley, I got this belt because of luck, but I've beaten everyone who's come after me so far. The problem with you is that you're all talk and no action, so why don't you bring yourself in here so I can add your name to the list of women I've defeated so far? And just because I'm feeling confident tonight, I'll put my title on the line." Paige spat. Riley talked it over with her teammates, and eventually rejected Paige. "Sorry kid, I haven't had the time to properly prepare for this match yet. But trust me, this isn't over."

As they were walking back to the locker room, Seth intertwined his fingers with Riley's. Riley tilted her head awkwardly to the side, trying to get the tension out of her neck. She pulled her hand away from Seth's so she could twist her head further, then walked the rest of the way by herself. "You see that, dude? That was her politely asking you to return to the friendzone that you just tried to escape from." Dean whispered with a smirk on his face. Seth sighed and shook his head; he knew that he really messed things up with Riley. He tied his hair back and changed out of his ring gear, then grabbed his things and walked out with the rest of them. On the way to the car, Seth couldn't help but notice the fact that Riley was holding her phone in her right hand; the side where Seth was standing.

* * *

Riley sat on the foot of Seth's bed with her face in her hands, shaking uncontrollably and doing everything she could not to cry. Seth wanted to sit up and wrap his arms comfortingly around her, but he feared that she might pull away from him again. "Ry, it's okay. It's only a few weeks." He let out slowly. Riley slumped her shoulders and looked up at him with a pout on her lips, obvious pain behind her eyes. "A few weeks is an eternity in this business, Seth! A few weeks without me, and everyone will forget about me. I'm in the middle of a feud with the champion, and I just _had_ to go off and break my damn arm. That's six weeks with no action! I'm screw-" She rambled, but was cut off by Seth lifting up her chin and kissing her gently. She was quiet when he pulled away, but she wasn't shaking nearly as much. "You talk too much. No one's going to forget about you kiddo, I promise you that. I'll make sure they don't forget about you. You're my on-screen girlfriend, so if they don't forget about Seth Rollins, they're not going to forget about Riley Reed. Don't worry about it, okay?" He comforted with a smile.

Riley nodded slowly and embraced him in a tight hug before walking to the bathroom so she could shower. While they were separated, neither one of them knew that they were both thinking about the tingling feeling on their lips that lingered from the kiss.

_She will be mine._

_He's just going to have to wait. You're not ready for another relationship yet._


	7. Chapter 7

Riley wandered around the abandoned hallways of the arena in London. It wasn't that she had nothing better to do – she could have walked to the Divas locker room to plan a match, or she could have stayed with her teammates and thought of a game plan – it was the fact that she just couldn't stand to be near _him._ Her relationship with Sami was finally over, and she was already beginning to feel for Seth. She had wasted three years of her life on a guy who only wanted her for one thing, so how was it possible that she was already developing feelings for someone else? Riley kept her head down and increased the volume on her phone; it was going to be a long night.

Riley felt a light tap on her shoulder, stopping her dead in her tracks and forcing her entire body to tense up; physical contact was now her worst fear. She turned around slowly, finding a bright-eyed Emma standing there. She removed her headphones from her ears and tucked her phone into her jacket pocket, then looked up to see what it was that Emma wanted. "You and I need to talk, but let's go outside. We don't need anyone interrupting us." She stated as she began to walk toward the exits. Riley wondered if they were even allowed to do this, but she would do absolutely _anything_ if it meant staying as far away from Seth as possible.

Riley leaned against the wall of the building, wrapping her arms around herself in an attempt to warm up. She kept her eyes locked on the ground, completely forgetting the reason they had come outside at all. "Stay away from Seth." Emma demanded. Riley's head shot up, a cold look on her face. Even though she didn't want to be near him for a while, that didn't change the fact he was one of her best friends. "Excuse me?" Riley questioned, raising one of her eyebrows and standing up straight. "You heard me. I'm 25 years old, and I'm still single. Seth's an attractive guy, and I'm going after what I want. The only thing standing in my way is you. You've been with Seth before you even joined the company, so you had all the chances in the world with him. Step back and let the others have a turn." Emma continued, her tone not changing the slightest amount. Riley smirked; if Emma wanted to play, then they would play.

"Oh, you're totally right. If I was Seth, I would _definitely_ want a dumb blonde that runs around the locker room trying to get with anything that breathes. Sweetheart, if there's one thing I'm sure of, it's the fact that your slutty ass doesn't stand a chance with him." Riley spat with a large grin on her face. The perplexed look on Emma's face said more than enough; Riley had won this round and they both knew it. Not bothering to consider the consequences, Emma punched Riley in the stomach; momentarily knocking the wind out of her and making her bend over slightly. Emma, enraged with Riley's comments, didn't stop the offense. She forced Riley down onto the ground, then did as much damage as she possibly could; punching her face, kicking her in the ribs, even taking it as far as spitting on her. When Emma was satisfied with what she had done, she walked back inside the arena and left Riley alone on the cold cement ground.

Riley rolled over onto her back, wrapping one arm around her midsection while the other hand went to her forehead. She coughed a few times, watching as a few droplets of blood landed on her chest. Despite the extreme pain she was feeling, she took in a few deep breaths and brought herself into a sitting position. She wiped off her nose and mouth, finding blood on the back of her hand. As much as she didn't want to go back inside, she knew she would get fired if she didn't. She leaned against the wall as she slowly brought herself back to her feet, limping all the way inside. She ignored the looks she was getting and just continued to walk straight; she knew the only place she could go in that moment was the one place she was trying to avoid.

* * *

Seth, Dean, and Roman surrounded the table that Riley was sitting on in the doctor's office. Riley hadn't explained what had happened in full detail – partially because she didn't want to, and partially because she couldn't remember – but all three of her teammates knew that she desperately needed to go get checked on. She had explained what had happened to Dr. Amann, though she left out the fact that it was Emma who did it to her. He cleaned out her cuts with peroxide, took an x-ray on her ribs and nose, and gave her some ice for the black eye she had. Just when she thought she was bored enough to go to sleep, the door opened and Dr. Amann came back in with the results of the x-rays. All four members looked at him, waiting silently to hear how bad it was. "The good news is that nothing's broken. You have slight bruising on your right costal cartilage, though that should heal in about three to six weeks." He explained while pointing to the bone that was bruised. He turned to the three original Shield members, writing something down on his clipboard. "My recommendation is get a lot of rest, don't do anything extreme, and no in-ring action for at least three weeks." He explained while handing Seth the prescription for her pain medication.

"Three weeks!" Riley exclaimed while sitting up too fast for comfort. She shut her eyes and pressed the ice pack against her head more, Dean rushing to her side to help keep her up straight. "With all due respect, Doc, I just went six weeks without being in the ring because of a broken arm. The Divas hardly get any time in the ring as it is. If I go another three weeks, everyone's going to forget about me." Riley continued slowly, trying to make him look at things from her perspective. Dr. Amann sighed heavily as he wrote out a new prescription for a much stronger medication. "You get one match per week, with Paige. You two are already feuding, and she knows what to do in the ring. I'll explain the situation to her, and I'll make sure she keeps you safe in there. But if you're going to compete, you have to let me tape up your ribs." He reasoned. Riley nodded, holding her arms out to the side so he could wrap up her injury.

* * *

Back at the hotel room, Dean helped Riley into her room. He shut the door and sat down with her, helping her change so she didn't hurt herself any more. "So you want to tell me what really happened?" Dean asked as she threw a new shirt over her slim frame. "No, not really." Riley replied while trying to stay distracted. Dean took Riley's phone away from her and gently forced her to sit down next to him on the bed. "I'm not leaving until you tell me the truth." Dean claimed, leaning back against the headboard and making himself comfortable. Riley sighed; she hated how stubborn Dean could be. "Then you better make yourself _real_ comfortable, Ambrose, cause I ain't talking." She replied. Riley turned the lamp off and got comfortable under the covers, holding her ground firmly. Dean knew he couldn't stay with Riley; it would be weird for the two of them and it would crush Seth. He sighed as he brushed his fingers through his hair before walking out of her room.

Seth looked up as Dean walked past him. He was dumbfounded at the way Ambrose looked; his hair was messed up, his shirt was untucked, his zipper was down… if Seth didn't know any better, he would say that Ambrose had just gotten laid. He slumped his shoulders and leaned back, thinking heavily about what could have just happened between Dean and Riley. _There's no way they had sex. He was only in there for a few minutes, and she's injured. Besides, he wouldn't stab me in the back like that… right?_ Seth rubbed his forehead; all these thoughts were giving him a headache. First Riley gets beat up and doesn't tell him who did it, and now there was evidence that Ambrose could have just fucked his childhood crush.

If there was one thing Seth knew for sure, it was the fact that those two would have _a lot_ of explaining to do in the morning.


End file.
